Hatch cover



Dec. 28, 1948- J. K. commas HATCH COVER Filed Feb. 2'7, 1946 INVENTQR JOHN K. C04 LIA/65 Patented Dec. 28, 1948 UNiTED s PATENT OFFICE HKT'GH COVER .John. K.. Ceilings, Englewood, N.. .J., assignor to flhelVIeta'lLumberv Corporation of New Jersey, Hoboken, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application 27, 1946, Serial .No. 650,658

Z'Clai'ms. 1 This invention relates tov improvements in hatch covers and the method of making the same, and is particularly directed tov sectional Covers for p s of cargo hatches of vessels.

Cargo hatches are/closed or covered by means of a plurality of: planks of either metal or wood, which are laid side by side on the 'coaming and then strapped or fastened in -place. Wooden hatch cover planks-have been replaced "in recent years by metal planks or sections; Generallythe blanks, whether wood or metal areapprox-imately twelve inchesin width, andwhere the length -of the coaming or hatch opening is amultiple oi twelve inches the required number oil twelve: inch planks: or sectionscom-prise the completedoover. However, cases where the' l 'engthof the 'coaming is notaneven. multiple oi twel v-e inches, for example where thecon-mine or ing is twelve feet nineinches; it. is. necessary to; reduce the width oi one-lot the planks or'sseotionsto provide the proper covering, In: the oaseof Wooden planks it is a. simple operation. tosaw oft the excess width of one plank (three inches the example. given). whereby toprovide: the oddwidth plank to complete the. cover: In sheet metal planks or sections it has likewise; been; a simple operation to make an odd. width plankv by cutting. off and bending the sheet metal of the section or plank to .the desired width.

However, a different problem is presented with.

extruded or drawn metal hatch. cover sections. or. planks oi the character disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 6061964, inasmuch as it would require different dies 'foreachodd width section or plank, which is prohibitive because of the fact that a special set of dies "would be requircd for practically everywidth. to fraction of every inch less than twelve inches.

The presentinventi'on has for one of its ob jeots the provision of a hatch cover section or plank which can be extruded. or drawn by means of one set of dies an'd'which can be. accommodated to any odd width opening-left a hatch cover after the standard width: planks or sections have been laid in place.

Another object of the present invention, resides in the provision of a. hatch cover or section of the character indicated bythe extruding or drawing process; and which will be of, the desired strength and ruggedness to. withstand any rough usage to which" it may be subjected in service.

Further objects of' the present invention will be manifest from the following description -and the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is an. explodediragmentary view in perprisinga plurality of standard. sections or planks and sections; or" planks of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail a. central body portion. is produced by a drawing or extrusien process, which process may be performed bywany' conventional drawing or-extrusion device, device terms no part of the present invention and accordingly is not illustrated.

The body portion l2 comprises a top wall H- having a depending web H5 at each-oi its sides from "each of which webs a lateral or" side flange i8 extends. Tl'iebody it also includes a bottom wall 20' having an inwardly extending web 2*! at each of its sides from each of which a lateral. or side flange 24 extends. The top and bottom walls 'are connected to each other by partitions or reinforcing members 26', which. preferably are extruded or drawn during the extrusion or drawing of the body I2.

Side portions 31]. and 32 are also drawn or extruded in the same manner as the body 12;. but, of course by means of different dies.

The side portion .39 comprises top and bottom Wall extensions M and 3'6, respectively,. and connecting Wall 38 which eventually isv to forms sidewall of a complete section. The wall. '38 is provided withalongitudinal groove 40. The side. portion. 32. also comprises. top and bottom wall. extensions iland. 44, respectively. and a connecting wall 45 which eventually isto form theoother side. wall of the. complete section. The. Wall. 56..

is provided with a longitudinal tongn A8. tongue. and. groove arrangement is provided whereby the section, when. placed in positiononthe coaming of a. hatch opening, will be inter. locked with complementary tongues and groove: on adjacent sections in the conventional manner. Thacentnal. body portion i2 is provided with: hand holes or depressions 54 in its. top wall and. each depression; is provided with a handle 5d,, wherebytotaoilitatehandling, of the The webs l6 and 22 are equal in depth to the wall thickness of the section and the wall thickness of the wall extensions or flanges of the side portions 39 and 3'2, so that the flanges l8 and 24 are in different planes relative to their respective walls, whereby when the parts are assembled, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the surfaces of the top and bottom walls of the complete section is uniform throughout.

When it is desired to form or fabricate a hatch cover section or plank from the parts illustrated in Fig. 1, the top and bottom wall extensions of the portions 38 and 32 are fitted over the laterally extending flanges of the opposite sides of the body portion H, with the edges of the wall extensions engaging the webs of the central section, as illustrated Fig. 2. 'The overlapping wall sions herein given are for convenience of description only and are not employed in any limiting sense, as the central body portion and the'side portions may be of any desired widths.

It is to be understood that the odd width sections of the present invention may be placed at any position in the group of sections making up the complete cover, but preferably are placed inextensions or flanges are then secured to the flanges of the body portion by welding or by any other suitable method whereby a rigid section having conventional tongue and groove side walls, is provided.

When the section is assembled in the manner described it is filled with slag wool or similar material and end walls 45 are then welded or otherwise secured to each end thereof whereby to hermetically seal the same and render the sec-- tion waterproof.

The central body section l2 may be any desired Width, for example about four inches, and the side portions 3b and 32 likewise may be any desired width, for example about two and one half inches each, which when assembled in the manner described provides a section nine inches wide.

Should it be desired to provide a section of lesser width, say seven inches, one inch may be cut off each of the Wall extensions of the side portions, as indicated by the dot and dash line C-C in Fig. After the wall extensions are cut as just described they are applied to the body portion ii. in the same manner as hereinbefore described, whereby to provide a narrower section as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The sections or planks of the present invention are preferably made from light metals or alloys, such as aluminum, but may be made of synthetics, plastics or other non-corrosive materials capable of being extruded or drawn.

The modified form of hatch cover section shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that the depending Webs and lateral flanges are provided on the sideflanges instead of the central portion. Central portion 58 comprises top and bottom walls 59 and Bi, respectively, providing side flanges in the same plane as the walls. Side portions 60 and 62 have depending webs and integral lateral flanges 64 and 68, so that when the portions are assembled, whereby to be welded'or otherwise secured to each other in the manner hereinbefore described, the flanges $5 and E8 of the side portions will fit on the inside of the flanges on the centralbody portion; In this form of the invention, should it be desired to reduce the width of the section, a longitudinal strip is cut olfeach of the flanges ofthe central body portion, the reinforcing par-- titions 26 being sufiiciently spaced from the sides to permit the removal of such strips and still permit the insertion of the flanges of the side portions. r

'While I have mentioned that the sections or planks of the present invention are preferably less than twelve inches in width, it is to be under stood that I do not wish to be limited to a section or plank of a lesser width than the standard termediate the end sections.

'It is also to be understood, that while but one of the sections or planks of the present invention, when fabricated in the manner described to properly lit in the space left in the hatch cover, will sufiice to complete the. cover, any number of these sections may be employed if desired in making up the complete cover. .In fact, sections made in accordance With the present invention may if desired be employed to make up the entire complete cover, or sections or various widths, made in accordance with the present invention, may be combined with each other or with standard sections to make up the complete cover.

The completed hatch cover shown in Fig. 6 for purposes of illustration and description, is made up of several standard width sections 52, several sections 50 made in accordance with the present invention of a; lesser width than the standard sections 52, and one section 5! made in accordance with the present invention but of a' greater width than the standard'sections. 1

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a novel hatch cover section of drawn or extruded material which is capable of being made into various widths arid a novel method of making the same.

It Will be understood that, while I have illustrated and described two embodiments of my invention, vI do not wish to be limited to the precise structures of those embodiments nor to the sequence of the steps of the disclosed method as obviously various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.v

What I claim is:

1. A hatch cover section comprising a substantially rectangular tubular metallic body member having top and bottom walls and side walls -connecting said top and bottom walls and a laterally extending flange at each side of said .top and bottom Walls, and a channel-shaped member at each side of said body member each having. top and bottom flanges and a connecting web, said. flanges of said body member and of said side members being formed with complementary joint (References on following page) JOHN K. COLLINGVS.

5 REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Fessenden June 13, 1922 Schafiert July 23, 1 935 Beyer Nov. 26, 1935 Number Number 

